Cooking for Dummies?

[Karilan]

First off, hello everyone! My name is Karilan, I'm 21 and in dire need of some cooking skills.
I've got a handful of cook books, but I've never taken a cooking class and neither of my parents taught me. What I'm looking for is a recommendation for a book that covers the absolute basics.
These books I have look nice and everything...but they assume I already know what they're talking about.
I get lost when they give instructions like "sautee" or "score fish" and amazingly: "pound chicken" (does chicken actually flatten out if I take a mallet to it?!)

Needless to say, I need some help! Does anyone know of a good book that teaches me all the little things?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Maverick2272]

To start with, the only cooking class I ever took was Home Ec. in Junior High. And my parents never taught me either, which is a good thing LOL.
My first book two books (and they covered all the terms, measures, weights, etc) were the Fanny Farmer Cookbook and Cooking for Young Homemakers.
Both explained things in great detail, including the methods they talked about in the recipes. The nice thing is that while both contained tons and tons of recipes (they are literally book size at two inches thick), they only ever covered basic methods and recipes so I never got lost.

Oh, and yes chicken will flatten out if you hit it with a mallet.. LOL.

 

[Leolady]

There is a book called "Cooking for Dummies". It is very basic and will give you your start.

 

[chefnaterock]

I suggest practice in addition to whatever good book recommendations you get. Onions are cheap and a great way to practice knife skills, carrots as well (but read up a lil on knife work first, it will help you keep all your fingers in tact). Flipping a piece of toast in a sautee pan will help you control those sautee tosses. My wife never cooked before we met, but I have been working with her slowly to improve her skills. It's only been two years, and she can now cook lots of good stuff. My most honest piece of advice to help you rock out the kitchen...clean as you go, and keep organized, it will really help you work faster. Oh, and give it time, you'll get better every time you fire a recipe. Good luck.

 

[Karilan]

Thank you Maverick and others for the quick replies!
I work in a book store, and luckily we have the Fannie Farmer Cookbook in stock, so I'll definitely check it out tomorrow at work.
I know I'll get better with practice, everyone tells me so, but it's nice to know what I'm doing in the first place, haha.
Thanks again, I will keep you updated!

 

[Maverick2272]

Your post got me thinking, and I went and checked out my cookbook shelf in the kitchen. Sure enough, I forgot another really good cookbook to start out with. I have enclosed pictures so you get an idea of the wealth of info included in it, but to summarize it has not only tons of recipes for most every type of dish you might like to try, but also contains a 2,000 facts about food section, definitions sections, terms sections(like what saute means), and food types section(for example listing different types of cheeses). In case you can't read it from the pics it is the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, 1963. Here it is, hope you can find a new release of it:

PS: click on thumbnails to view larger easier to read pictures.

 

[chefnaterock]

Your post got me thinking, and I went and checked out my cookbook shelf in the kitchen. Sure enough, I forgot another really good cookbook to start out with. I have enclosed pictures so you get an idea of the wealth of info included in it, but to summarize it has not only tons of recipes for most every type of dish you might like to try, but also contains a 2,000 facts about food section, definitions sections, terms sections(like what saute means), and food types section(for example listing different types of cheeses). In case you can't read it from the pics it is the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook, 1963. Here it is, hope you can find a new release of it:

PS: click on thumbnails to view larger easier to read pictures.

I have the smae book...I love it! Is that the copyright 1964 version? Oops, never mind, I just noticed you included it. Anyhow, the cinnamon rolls are the best I've ever had.

 

[Maverick2272]

LOL too funny! It is the 1963 version, and like the Fanny Farmer Cookbook it is so well used it is falling to pieces!

 

[AMSeccia]

I will 2nd the vote for Fanny Farmer ... it's really helpful on many levels! And my tip is to not be afraid to make mistakes. That's exactly how we learn in the kitchen!

 

[FincaPerlitas]

The first two cookbooks in owned were Fannie Farmer and Betty Crocker. The next one I added was Joy of Cooking. I still use all of them today - much more frequently than any of my other dozens of cookbooks. Fannie Farmer and Joy of Cooking are more comprehensive and are great reference cookbooks but, for absolute beginners, I think Betty Crocker is more helpful because of its simplicity and clear instructions. It also has great illustrations, charts, and photos.

I'd buy all three, but I bet you'll use Betty Crocker more often until you gain skill and experience. The one you want is Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Everything You Need To Know To Cook Today (9th or 10th edition). I'd spend the extra money for the ring-bound or hard-bound edition. My copy is almost 40 years old and still gets regular use. I have a 10 year old paperback edition that's almost unusable because the binding is so broken apart.

 

[Max Sutton]

Learning to cook


Here are three basic cookbooks for people learning how to cook.

1. Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics (2000)
2. Learning To Cook with Marion Cunningham (1999)
3. Now You're Cooking (1994) by Elaine Corn

Plus I learned a lot by watching cooking shows on the Food Network. Giada DeLaurentiis explains and shows why she uses various ingredients on her Everyday Italian cooking show.

 

[RobsanX]

There is a book called "Cooking for Dummies". It is very basic and will give you your start.

I have that book, it's actually called Cooking Basics for Dummies, and I agree that it's a great book to get you started. It's easy to read, easy to follow, and contains a lot of humor too.

 

[rjx]

As far as books on "how to cook" is concerned, I recomend purchasing a culinary school textbook. Everything you need to know are in those books! Whether you are just beginning or want to improve your skills, these are the ultimate books for cooking techniques. And you don't need to overwhelm yourself with the entire book. You could just look at the table of contents, or index for what it is you want to learn. It's all in there!

On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition)

For Introductory Cooking, Cooking Skills or "Food Prep" courses in Culinary Arts, Food and Nutrition and Hospitality Management departments. THE definitive culinary skills textbook in the market. Attractively designed and extensively illustrated with color photographs, line drawings, charts and tables, this contemporary introduction to cooking and the culinary arts focuses on information relevant to today's students.

The Professional Chef (8th edition)

The book includes essential information on nutrition, food and kitchen safety, and tools and ingredients, as well as more than 640 classic and contemporary recipes plus variations. One hundred and thirty-one basic recipe formulas illustrate fundamental techniques and guide cooks clearly through every step, from mise en place to finished dishes.

Being good at cooking comes from practice, practice and more practice. Trial and error.

While the combination of flavors and textures differ from recipe to recipe, every recipe usually calls for some kind of knife technique (slice, dice, mince, chop, julienne, etc) and / or cookery technique (braise, saute, simmer, roast, etc). Once you are comfortable with your techniques you can tackle any recipe book you want with ease.

Good luck. Have fun.

 

[Maverick2272]

The first two cookbooks in owned were Fannie Farmer and Betty Crocker. The next one I added was Joy of Cooking. I still use all of them today - much more frequently than any of my other dozens of cookbooks. Fannie Farmer and Joy of Cooking are more comprehensive and are great reference cookbooks but, for absolute beginners, I think Betty Crocker is more helpful because of its simplicity and clear instructions. It also has great illustrations, charts, and photos.

I'd buy all three, but I bet you'll use Betty Crocker more often until you gain skill and experience. The one you want is Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Everything You Need To Know To Cook Today (9th or 10th edition). I'd spend the extra money for the ring-bound or hard-bound edition. My copy is almost 40 years old and still gets regular use. I have a 10 year old paperback edition that's almost unusable because the binding is so broken apart.

LOL mine are the same way, they desperately need replacing. None have the hard cover still attached, and on all of them the binding is coming apart as well.
Well used indeed!

 

[Leolady]

Amazon.com: Cooking for Dummies: Bryan Miller, Marie Rama: Books

 

[Karilan]

Thanks again for all your suggestions!
I ordered the Fannie Farmer Cookbook today. I think I'll hold off on buying any others for now - you know what the Christmas season does to our funds!

While I anxiously wait for that book to come in, I've been going through my cook books and putting post-it notes on recipes I'd like to try.

Are there any foods I should avoid because they are complicated or expensive, or perhaps any foods that are very easy to work with. I've already been told that chicken can rarely go wrong, so I'm tagging a lot of chicken recipes

 

[Seven S]

another suggestion... check youtube for videos... there are quite a few!!

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm going to give you my best advice. There is a term called "mise en place" - simply put it means everything in it's place.

Bring out all ingredients and measure, chop, dice, slice and place everything in containers in the order they are needed. Some things can go in the same dish i.e., if the recipe says add 1 cup chopped onions and 3 cloves of chopped garlic, you can put those things in the same dish.

Once you have everything out (this will also help you know if you are lacking an ingredient ) and also your cooking will go more quickly. You won't be standing there with your onions burning while you open 4 tins of tomatoes or chopping your chicken.

My other bit of advice is just read the recipe from start to finish. Make sure you understand everything. Google (or ask us) any techniques that aren't familiar. Pounding out a chicken normally means pounding out a boneless/skinless chicken breast or thigh. It makes it cook quickly and is more tender. Less chance of overcooking due to varying degrees of thickness.

Look up some cooking terms online. Look up "Italian Recipes" or "Hamburger Recipes" or "Chicken Recipes" and just start reading. Pictures are worth 1,000 words. No question should go unasked! We learn from each other here.

 

[PieSusan]

Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking is a small book with a lot of information in it. It is great for a newbie cook. I often give it as a present to someone who knows nothing about cooking and who wants to learn.

 

[Mama]

My first cookbook was Betty Crocker. I still have it and I still use it.